Adrian Kettle
Birder on Yell in Shetland.
- More pics of the Kumlien’s/Thayer’s gull on Unst yesterday. Hopefully get some better ones when the snow blizzard’s stop. #birdingshetland
- A couple of posts on the Kumlien’s/Thayer’s gull currently on Unst. Here’s some photos of it from March 24 as a 1st w (2nd cy) March 25 as a 2nd w (3rd cy) and February 26 as a 3rd w (4th cy) #birdingshetland
- Don’t think I’ve ever seen so much white in the wing of a Tundra Bean goose before. Very broad and seemingly unworn. #birdingshetland
- Reposted by Adrian Kettlecome to the conclusion it is just not worth bothering; protected areas by the Humber, right managed by Lincs Trust; track to a sailing pit, apparently hedge prevents wind and stops sailing; also harbours insects that used to feed 1000 Swifts and hirundines in spring - disconnect with natural world
- Also on Unst today at Uyeasound. The Kumlien’s/Thayer’s gull, 1st winter male Common Scoter and Woodcock along with c500 Long tailed Ducks, in the snow. The sound made the spectacle even better. #birdingshetland
- Today on Unst managed 5 sp of geese, Tundra Bean, Whitefront, Pinkfoot, Barnacle and the ever present Greylag. To be continued.. #birdingshetland
- Has anybody submitted anything!😂😂
- The new Missing Records file is now live on the BB website, please have a look at britishbirds.co.uk/rarities-com... and consider submitting any outstanding rarities that you may have been lucky enough to discover in 2025. Thanks.
- These 2 Common Seals had the good idea to haul out today as 6 of the 27’s pod of Orcas were around! Great day for seeing them as well dead calm after 2 days of gales, not that you would have heard of that because it wasn’t in souther England! 😂 GWE mid winter in Shetland! #birdingshetland
- Thick snow today, as in well over the top of my wellies! It does mean looking for Jack and Common Snipe easier. Over 120 Snipe in 1 flock was impressive. Whilst 8 Jacks with 4 Snipe in a roadside ditch was nice. 2 Jacks in the second photo. #shetlandbirding
- 408 miles from my house as the Azure Tit flies!
- The scenery showed much better than the WBD’s! Out Skerries in the distance seen from Birrier, Yell. #shetlandbirding
- Terrible video warning‼️ 2 Adult White Billed Divers in Colgrave Sound, Yell today. In one of the 2 regular wintering areas around Yell.
- Peeling sprouts with my helper. I put 1 in he takes it out bites it and throws it away! 🦜 😂😂
- A great present from Tracy, and so true! 😂😂😂
- Lerwick yesterday was dull to say the least. Iceland Gull and 1 of at least 46 Purple Sands. The sky from the garden this evening was rather colourful! #shetlandbirding
- Mainland Shetland today in mainly sunshine! King (Queen) Eider at Scalloway showed rather well, I had it all to myself, so had no crowd trouble! 😉 Sibe CC also in Scalloway. 4 Humpbacked Whales around Mousa. Red Necked & Little Grebe at Hillwell. Yank Wigeon at Spiggie. #shetlandbirding
- Having not been seen since 18th Nov the Great White Egret was back in Mid Yell Voe this afternoon. After having gone back to Unst on at least one date. #shetlandbirding
- It’s been an amazing year on Yell for Greenfinchs, considering they have not even been annual since I’ve lived here. Today I saw another 2, taking our total to 11 birds, with another seen by Dougie Preston that takes this years total to 12 birds! #shetlandbirding
- Had to go over to Unst today to pick up my car that’s been there all autumn. Took the opportunity to go to look at 2 Long eared Owls, managed to find a third bird there as well! Best I could do in dull light, the other 2 were even more obscured.#Shetlandbirding
- We have still got 3 Blue Tits knocking around Mid Yell. But even more of a surprise on freezing northerlies, hail and snow was a Great White Egret on Mid Yell voe. #shetlandbirding
- Another shopping trip to Lerwick, Tesco was closed due to a power cut! Gave me a chance to look for the long staying Kingfisher. Which I saw briefly after a phone call to get directions for where its exact location might be. Also 3 Siberian CC, 2 Bullfinch, Chaffinch & Water Rail #shetlandbirding
- The last couple of weeks has seen good numbers of Siberian CC with a few Common CC mixed in. This Sibe was photographed in Mid Yell yesterday. #shetlandbirding
- Had a couple of hours birding late PM on Yell today. Managed 3 Blue Tits, 2 fem Northern Bullfinch, 5 Siberian & 1 CC, Redpoll, Sparrowhawk and a fem Common Scoter. Then at last knockings found a Pallas’s Warbler, strangely scarce on Shetland, whilst checking a flock of 50+ Twite #shetlandbirding
- Reposted by Adrian Kettle[Not loaded yet]
- 2/2 After seeing the geese a quick trip down to Sandwick to see a Dusky Warbler, worked out well. #shetlandbirding
- Another trip to Lerwick for supplies and at last managed to get some photos of the Taiga Bean goose on a sports field! with a Pinkfoot. 1/2 #shetlandbirding
- Good day around central Yell yesterday. Best was Yells 2nd Firecrest in Mid Yell,2 Northern Bullfinch, 2 Blue Tit, 2 Jackdaw, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, 4 Siberian CC, 1 CC and 2 Water Rails. #shetlandbirding
- To say the weather has been a bit challenging today is rather an understatement! But the 3 Northern LTT still on Yell. Will they stay until we get a day with some daylight? Love the yellow eyeshadow! #shetlandbirding
- Managed slightly better photos of the 3 Northern Long tailed Tits at Sound Yell today. Also saw another bird, without a tail, found by Dougie Preston at Camb. #shetlandbirding
- Other birds on Yell today included a surprise Great White Egret an expected Jack Snipe and a very pale Redpoll, doesn’t look like an Arctic to me. Another Moorhen today along with large numbers of thrushes kept the interest up. #shetlandbirding
- Right, before you judge my photos, it was a last ditch attempt in near dark! Taken at 16000 iso, to be fair they are better than I was expecting! Found by a local resident outside his house on the road verge! Northern Long tailed Tits are still a rare bird in UK. #shetlandbirding
- Yesterday there was an arrival of birds on Yell. Jackdaws, Moorhen (only 2nd I’ve seen on here) Bramblings, Blackcaps and Redwings were the main arrivals. But 2 Greenfinch (rare on here) YBW & juv Peregrine. Then a quick trip to Brig o Fitch Black faced Bunting! #shetlandbirding
